India-US Satellite Flags Sinking Of Mexico City At Alarming Rate

PASADENA, CA – A joint United States–India satellite mission has captured fresh evidence of rapid land subsidence in Mexico City, with parts of the metropolitan region sinking by several centimeters per month, according to new data released by the US space agency NASA and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

The findings, based on early observations from the NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite, underscore both the severity of the capital’s long-running subsidence crisis and the growing capability of space-based monitoring systems to track ground movement in near real time, NASA said on April 29.

Mexico City, home to nearly 20 million people, has been sinking for more than a century due to intensive groundwater extraction and the weight of urban development compressing its ancient lakebed foundation. Historical data show that some areas subsided by about 35 centimeters per year in the late 20th century, damaging infrastructure, including roads, buildings and the city’s extensive Metro system.

The new NISAR data, collected between October 2025 and January 2026, reveal that certain areas are now sinking by more than 2 centimeters per month, NASA said.

The satellite’s advanced radar system can penetrate cloud cover and vegetation, allowing it to track subtle surface changes regardless of weather or lighting conditions, the US space agency added.

One visible indicator of Mexico City’s long-term subsidence is the Angel of Independence monument. Built in 1910, the structure has required the addition of 14 steps at its base over time as the surrounding land levels dropped.

The mission represents a major collaboration between the United States and India, with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory leading the US contribution and ISRO providing key spacecraft components. The satellite was launched in July 2025 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in India. (IANS)